Method of treating ferro metals.



20 contalned, or absorbed in melting, IlOXlOllS NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE J. ROSSI, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK,-ASSIGNOR TO THE TITANIO'M ALLOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHQD OF TREATING FERRO METALS.

1,003,805. 'No Drawing.

Application filed November 20, 1908. Serial No. 463,610.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE J. Rossr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Niagara Falls, in the county ofNiagara and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Ferro Metals, of which the following is a specification.

Such metals, astis' well known, when. melting, absorb gases, being for instance oxidized, to an extent, during fusion, the resulting oxids dissolving in the metal with the result that said metals cannot, in many instances, be cast-without developing blow holes and other imperfections in the resulting product; other gases, such as nitrogen, are also during the fusion undesirably developed in the molten mass with characteristic malign effects, so that it may be said that hitherto such metals have too frequently elements, or compounds, injuriously affecting the final product. I have discovered that if to such metals. when charged into the crucible, or while melting, or molten, there be added a small quantity, preferably from 1% to 2% in Weight, of an alloyv ofa ferrometal as for instance iron, or steel, and titanium containing say from 5% to 12% of titanium or thereabout, such undesired ele- 'ments and compounds will be, thereby,

largely eliminated from the'resulting ferro product, and exceptional hardness and tensile strength, besides other advantages, 'imparted thereto.

For example-'my present invention be practiced as follows :-The ferro-metal to be treated, for instance iron or steelfis melted as usual in the crucible or other container. There is thenadded thereto an alloy ofiron and titanium such as described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 609,466 or No. 721,467, granted to me respectively on August 23rd 1898 and February 24th 1903, which addition in many cases neednot exceed from 1% to 2% of the entire weight of the ferro-metal treated thereto, and the content of titanium 5% to 12% of the said addition, the function of the titaniuni when added in these comparatively minute proportions being limited to the elimination of the aforesaid undesired compounds or elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen and their compounds and the prevention of the development, or formation, there may of in the ferro mass while in molten state,

the said additions of titanium being, in such cases, so proportioned as to enable my said novel process to result in a final product comparatively free from the said undesired compounds, or elements,or undesired resultants thereof, and containing also not to exceed traces of titanium, say a fraction of 1% at the most. If steel is treated by' my said process it will be understood that an alloy of steel and titanium such for instance as results from the process ,of Letters Patent No. 822,305 granted to me June 5, 1906 may be employed instead of the said alloy of iron and titanium, though I have found the latter preferable.

For the better understanding of my said process of treatmentand its results, as compared to the prior art, the following actual operations may be noted, viz

In a usual steel crucible furnace was charged and melted 100 lbs. of steel, or the proper'ma ter-ials to make it, which, when at the proper temperature were cast in an ingot mold according to the usual practice in such cases. The resulting ingot, weighing 100 lbs., was broken and found to contain blowholes and to show signs of segregation. I 2. Then, according to said novel process, was charged another lot of 100 lbs. steel, or of materials proper to make it, into a similar crucible, with :the addition of 1 to 2 per cent. in weight of the above mentioned alloy of iron and titaniumnow'known in the trade as a ferro-titanium, containing 10 to 12 per cent. titanium or there- -about. The conditions and procedure in this case were, in all respects, similar to those in the above described previous in stance. The metal was submitted to the same heat until the-addition was incorporated. It was then cast in the same kind of molds as were used in the previous instance. The resulting ingot was found to be perfectly solid and, when broken, showed a close grained, dense structure, without blowholes or cavities. Comparative physical tests were made of test bars, made respectively from the metal non-treated! and themetal treated, according to the above description. The bars made of the metal treated by said novel process were found to have an ultimate strength, elongation and elastic limit considerably above those of the with equally satisfactory results, the amount of the ingredient added depending on the x steel treated and the greater or lesser amount any, was found, by analysis,

bars made of the metal not treated by said process. Scarcely a trace of titanium, when treated, thus demonstrating that the action ofthe titanium ingredient was substantially confined to the elimination, or prevention, of obnoxious gases or oxids, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and the reduction of the oxid of iron formed during the melting of the metal. Similar operations were repeated with additions of a and even i of 1 per cent. and occasionally less of ferro-titanium more or less state of purity of the original of obnoxious gases this said steel might contain. Analyses of different parts of the ingot treated showed that there was no practical segregation at certain points, of the different elements of which steel ,is composed, such as carbon, phosphorus, silicon,-

cont-rarily to whatis observed in the nontreated metal.

3. Operations of the same nature were repeated with converter steel, the additions of ferro-titanium being made as the metal timate strength, elongation and elastic limit above those of the non-treated metal. Scarcely a trace of titanium, when an was found by analysis in the bars treate thus demonstrating that the action of the titanium ingredient was substantially confined, as before, to the elimination of obnoxious gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and reduction of the oxid of iron formed in the metal, in other words to one of purification. Analyses showed that the oxid of iron, found present in the metal non-treated, to the extent of 0.25 per cent. to 0.30 per cent., had been completely eliminated,analyses of the treated steel showing oxid of iron ml, and that the original nitrogen had been reduced to 0.004 per cent.,, and even to practically nothing, according to the percentage .of alloy added. Microscopic examinations showed also. the complete absence of the slag visible in the ingot non-treated.

' 4. Operations of the same nature were repeated in the open hearth, following the modus operandi used for this kind of steel,

the treated metal showing the same supein the bars riority in the physical tests and the same purity and freedom from obnoxious elements, gaseous or otherwise, as compared to the original metal, scarcely a trace of titanium, when any, being found in the metal treated.

5. Results entirely comparable were also obtained with cast iron treated, either in the ladle or cupola, with additions of ferrotit-anium. The metal treated showing, in all cases, a greater resistance in the physical tests, a close grained dense structure; and the absence of blow-holes, oxids or slags, being again a prominent feature, though but a trace, if any, of titanium was found in the treated metal.

The effects of my said process are also advantageous in cases in which the molten ferro-metals are intended to form the basis of alloys of such metals with others, as for instance nickel, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, etc. the resulting alloys derived from the process containing also not to exceed 1% or traces of titanium and being comparatively free from blow-holes, and in many other respects superior to those produced without the aid of my process. In the production of such alloys the titanic purifier may be either introduced into the molten mass composed of all the constituent metals, or preliminarily, as aforesaid, into the ferrometal, afterward assembled with another not so treated, to produce the desired alloy.

It will be observed that in practicing my present invention it is always preferable to regulate the titanium introduced to an amount merely sufficient to take up, as fully as possible, in chemical combination with itself, the undesired elements and com-pounds contained, or developed in, the particular ferro-meta'l under treatment, as these may be determined by test and experience in each case:

I am aware that titanium has heretofore been employed with ferro-metals as described in my said patents, but only with intent and effect of producing, as final product, an alloy containing a required percentage of titanium, which alloy might in turn,

if desired, be employed for so-called seasoning of iron or steel. 2'. c. incorporating into the latter a lower but likewise predetermined positive content of titanium, with expectation of thereby imparting to the final product desirable characteristics of that metal per se.

I am also aware that titanic acid, 2'. c. the chemical compound of titanium with oxygen, has been introduced, in relatively small percentages, into molten cast iron, the said titanic acid being, in this instance, preliminarily mixed with a metal capable of reacting therewith, as for instance aluminium, and. that the expectation has been hazarded ferro-metals so treated by my said that, in such case, the titanium has either been taken up by the molten cast iron or ab sorbed by gases contained in latter, the result -bein homogeneous casting. Aside from the irrationality of such expectation, due to the introduction of the titanic element in a form in which its aflinities are already satisfied, z'. e. in the form of an -oxid, the extreme refractoriness of which is well known, I do not wish to be understood as claiming such procedure as any part of my present invention.

I am also aware that pig-iron produced from titaniferous ores in the blast furnace has been asserted to contain sometimes a fractional percentage of titanium, the presence of which however has been due to indirect causes, irregular, unreliable, depend ent upon special or accidental conditions, such as are uncontrollable by the founder, and which may often interfere with the proper and regular running of the furnace. I do not wish to be understood as claiming herein any such procedures or resulting products, my present inventions being dis- I tinguishable therefrom in that the latter involve, as I believe for the first time, the discovery that titanium per se in metallic state operates in exceptional degree as an absorbent, or eliminator, of undesirable elements and compounds from molten fe-rro-Inetals, and the designed introduction into the presence of such metals, while molten, of merely sufficient metallic titanium to absorb, or eliminate such undesired compounds and elements, and without leaving in the final product to exceed traces of said titanium,

I from which procedure results articles possessing novel and desirable characteristics, it being for some purposes desirable that titanium, owing to its affinities and for other reasons, should be substantially eliminated from ferro-metal products.

I am also aware that it has been heretofore suggested that alloys of titanium with.

other than terro-metals, as for instance alloys of titanium and aluminium, alloys of titanium and calcium, also alloys of iron with titanium in combination with metallic borids, mightbe advantageously employed to improve the quality of iron and steel, and I do not therefore wish to be understood as into the bath, of titanium alloyed with the ferro-metal treated, or as ferro-titanium, as well as such introduction per said alloys comparatively low in titanium content, importantly facilitates and increases uniform dissemination and superior desired action of the titanium throughout the bath.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following, viz:

1. The method of treating a ferro-metal which comprises incorporating therewith while molten a quantity of the alloy of a ferro-metal with metallic titanium, the said titanium being proportioned to combine with undesired compounds and elements and secure a final product containing substantially no titanium.

2. The method of treating steel which comprises incorporating therewith while molten a quantity of the alloy of iron with metallic titanium, the said titanium being proportioned to combine with undesired com- .pounds and elements and secure a final product containing substantially no titanium.

3. The method of treating iron which comprises incorporating therewith, while molten, a quantity of the alloy of iron wlth metallic titanium, the said titanium being proportioned to combine with undesired compounds and elements and secure a final product containing substantially no titanium.

4. The method of treating ferro-metals which comprises incorporating therewith while molten a quantity of a ferro-metal associated with metallic titanium, the said titanium being proportioned to comblne with undesired compounds and elements and secure a final product containing substantially no titanium.

AUGUSTE J. ROSSI. Witnesses:

En. A. BRUCKNER,

WILLIAM F. MEREDITH. 

